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Angling reports for week ending 15 October 2016

If you would like your club's results included here, please contact Steve Cope on 01922 640247 or steve.cope@hotmail.com

Rivers

The Angling Trust Riverfest 2016 Qualifier on the River Thames

The River Thames between Abingdon and Appleford, Didcot in Oxfordshire was clear with very little flow during Saturday’s 53-entry Angling Trust Riverfest 2016 Qualifier. With the river being so clear the fish were shoaling up which meant a lot of anglers struggled and end pegs were a huge bonus. Bridgnorth AS chairman and skipper Brian Preece drew the bottom end peg on Appleford and had 10lb of roach on poled caster, presented at 9 metres plus a brace of welcome bream on the pole with worm, fished at 14 metres to win the match with 19-15-0 and book his place in the two day November final on the River Wye in Herefordshire. England International Will Raison (Daiwa) drew opposite the boat club at Abingdon, where he had one bream and quality roach on poled caster at 16 metres and then perch on worm at 6 metres, the largest of which was 3lb 10oz specimen, to win his section with 19-1-0 and secure his final place. Match third was Jim Brockie (Sensas WB Clarke) who drew the top end at Abingdon and had 230 fish on the 5 metre whip with maggot over groundbait for 14-5-0. The other qualifier was Paul Passmore (Devizes MG) who was on the bottom end peg at Culham.

Bridgnorth barbel boost Jez to the top on the Severn

Although the water level was still low and clear the River Severn in Bridgnorth, Shropshire didn’t disappoint at Sunday’s 35-entry Bridgnorth AS Open. Finishing head and shoulders above the rest at peg 14 on the hawthorns was Kingswinford’s Jez Williams (Bridgnorth AS) who banked ten barbel, the largest being 7lb, one chub plus a few bits for an impressive 54-14-0. Jez had most of his on the pellet feeder, with a few on luncheon meat and the silvers on maggot. A close cluster of weights then followed with Richard Duke (Middle Severn Angling) coming second on peg 29 above the island, where he fished the caster feeder, to net four barbel and three chub for 27-8-0, ahead of Pedmore rod James Checketts who had another four barbel and a couple of chub to scale 26-11-0 at peg 75 in the coppice. Wolverhampton’s Ian Hingley recorded 24-11-0 and Bridgnorth AS anglers John Webb and Sam Lloyd returned 22-2-0 and 22-1-0 respectively.

Roach bonanza for Carl & Co. on the Thames at Medley

Sunday’s 24-peg Oxford & District AA Open was held on a very clear River Thames in Medley, Oxfordshire where the bottom end of the match length produced the three best weights with the rest of the venue fishing much harder. Winner Carl Eland (Drennan Oxford) drew the bottom end peg where he fished the waggler with caster or tares on the hook over hemp and caster feed, catching predominantly quality roach for a brilliant 37-14-0 top net. Carl’s teammate Steve Harwood followed on Sandy Point with another bumber redfins catch for 29-3-0, gathered on the pole with caster over groundbait, leaving Kevin Holmes (Sensas A4) in third, one peg away from the winner, with 24-2-0 of caster-roach. Drennan Oxford’s Mick Denton secured fourth with 12-12-0.

Jack emerges the victor on a low and clear River Don

After a dramatic overnight fall in temperature on a low and clear River Don in Cadeby, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, the anticipated skimmers failed to show for Sunday’s River Don Winter League/Open match. Jack Evason took the winner’s purse on peg 90 with 7-15-0 of roach and perch, gathered on the 7 metre whip with maggot on the hook. Hot on his heels was James Cameron who scaled 7-10-0 of roach, perch and gudgeon to the same tactics at peg 103, nudging Pete Brothwell into third, who fished the 13 metre pole with maggot off peg 107 for 7-6-0 of roach and perch. Completing the frame was Mick Whitfield who weighed in 7-1-0 of small mixed silvers caught on the 10 metre whip.

River Calder triumph for Gary in Wakefield

On Sunday, Wakefield AC fished the River Calder down to the Monckton Road Industrial Estate in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. On a beautiful autumn day with just a light breeze, fish were caught all along the match length. Winner Gary Hampshire fished the pole at 12 metres with bronze maggots for most of the match catching roach and perch, to end the day with 126 fish for 10-11-0. Runner-up Ray Reah fished the waggler down the middle with maggots and casters for a 7-6-0 net of mixed silvers and last in the money was Mick Chapman who also fished the pole to weigh in 6-10-0 of mainly roach.

Canals

Thirty nine partnerships contested Saturday’s Angling Trust Canal & River Trust Canal Pairs Championships 2016 Qualifier on the Llangollen Canal at Whixall, Whitchurch, North Shropshire where Hodnet AC anglers came first and second on the individual front. Drawn on end peg A1, Steve Parker topped by a country mile with an excellent 21-14-3 winning weight. Steve didn’t feed to start with and pole-fished 4mm bread punch, then he fed squatt and groundbait with pinkie and double squatt on the hook, catching roach, hybrids, two bream and skimmers steadily for the first 2½ hours, then he fished chopped worm for the rest of the match. The other weights were chiefly made up of roach and skimmers and Steve’s teammate Bob Yeomans threw everything at it on peg A4 to tip 7-3-5 onto the scales, ahead of Wilson ‘Wilf’ Pickett (CRT AC) who poled pinkie off peg B26, netting mainly skimmers and roach for 6-10-4. Things slowed down in the last half of the match and a lot of the anglers switched to chopped worm and caster down the track for the chance of the odd bonus perch. The qualifiers for the final on the Staffs & Worcs Canal in Penkridge on the 29th of October are Ben Garbett (Wolverhampton AA VDE) & Dave Brown (Maver Midlands/Dynamite Baits) 71, Kevin Perry (Maver Midlands/Dynamite Baits) and match individual fourth placed Martin Owen (Sensas Black Country) 69, Danny Martin (Wigan MG) and Ant Marsden (Wigan MG) 68, M. Griffiths (Deggy’s Tackle) and match fifth Dave Harper (Weston Pools) 67 and Hodnet AC dynamic father and son duo Terry Nutt and Michael Nutt on 63.

Thirty two double acts lined the Leeds & Liverpool Canal from Farmer’s Swing Bridge to Heaton’s Bridge in Wigan, Great Manchester for Sunday’s final Angling Trust & Canal & River Trust Canal Pairs Championships 2016 Qualifier. The individual honours went to Kevin Clarke (Wigan MG) who achieved a resounding victory with a cracking 22-14-0 top catch. Kevin caught skimmers to 1lb on poled worm and caster presented at 8 metres, then bigger skimmers from 12oz to 2lb on maggot at 14.5 metres. Simon Walton (Farnworth Tackle) was runner-up with 13-0-12, consisting of over a hundred small roach he had at 10.5 metres out, then with 45 minutes remaining he bagged four good bream on worm at 14.5 metres. Tommy Fairhurst (Lancs MG.) came third with 9-7-4. The qualifiers for the final on the Staffs & Worcs Canal on 29th October are Michael Davies & Dave Massey 14 points; Kerry Kirkwood & Kevin Lavelle 19 points (8-0-4); Richard Yates & Marc Ellement 19 (7-3-8); Simon Wain & Steve Crossley 19 (7-1-12); Simon Walton & Mick Hargreaves 20 points.

First blood to Shakey in round one of the Angling Trust Warwickshire Winter League

Six squads set up along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal in Small Heath, Birmingham for Sunday’s round one of the Angling Trust Warwickshire Teams of Eight Winter League. The top three all had roach nets to poled squatt and pinkie. First home on peg 37, the end peg in the bridge hole, was Alistair Chisholm (Shakespeare Superteam/Bait-Tech) who had 150 fish for 7-15-0. The next two both had around 140 fish each and runner-up on peg 11 was Alistair’s captain Darren Massey who weighed in 7-10-0, ahead of Ted Yearby (Sensas Dams & Lock) who recorded 6-10-0 at peg 1. Shakespeare Superteam/Bait-Tech won the team prize on the day with 20, pipping Sensas Black Country into second on 21 points. Third place went to Sensas Dams & Lock, who amassed 29 points.

Mike leads the way with Shroppy chub at Soudley

Browning Lifestyle’s Mike Manson ran out a clear winner at Sunday’s Hodnet AC Open held on the Goldstone Boats Section of the Shropshire Union Canal in Soudley, Shropshire. Drawn on peg 102, Mike pole-fished chopped worm and caster, catching a trio of chub between 2½lb and 3lb alongside roach and skimmers for a 11-5-0 top weight. Pete Edwards (Hodnet AC) followed with 7-1-4 of maggot-tempted roach, skimmers and gudgeon from peg 92, leaving Bernie Leatherbarrow (Hodnet AC) in third with another mixed bag of silvers which fell to poled maggot for 6-5-14 at peg 90.

Red letter day for Steve at Wombourne

Four Ashes AC anglers took the top two placings at Sunday’s Wolverhampton AA Open held on the Staffs & Worcs Canal in Wombourne, Staffordshire. Walsall-based postman Steve Cope stamped his mark on the event with a win on peg 9, where he pole-fished chopped worm and caster over hemp to net mainly chub to 2lb plus a 1½lb skimmer and a 1lb perch for 11-6-0. Dave Richards followed on peg 1 with again predominantly chub alongside several roach, all to chopped worm and caster to return 9-5-11, ahead of Steve Broome (Maver Midlands/Dynamite Baits) who scaled 9-5-0, comprising of two crucians around 1lb apiece, a trio of perch to 1lb, a skimmer about 1¼lb plus chublets, all to poled caster at peg 4.

Aire & Calder redfins win for Dave

Conditions were near perfect, being cloudy and overcast for most of the day with very little wind during Saturday 45-peg Mirfield AC Open on the Aire & Calder Navigation in Altofts, West Yorkshire. Unfortunately, as work was being carried out on the Birkwood and Kings Road Locks, no boat traffic could pass through and for the big fish to feed the canal needs some flow. Nevertheless Dave Pollitt (Mirfield Willy Worms) mustered all of his guile on peg 36, where he fished the pole at 13 metres with bread punch and caster, catching mainly roach with the odd perch for a 13-12-0 top net. Drawn on peg 38, Stan Haigh (Angler’s World) poled bread punch also at 13 metres for roach and chopped worm at 3 metres for perch to finish second with 11-6-0, edging Dave Armitage (Cleckheaton) into third who pole-fished bread and caster at 13 metres for roach and again chopped worm at 3 metres for the stripys to return 11-2-0 at peg 29.

Phil’s up and running as he lands round one of the Newry Canal Winter League

On Sunday, the Newry Canal Winter League kicked off on the Shopping Centre side of the basin on the Newry Canal in Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland in glorious conditions with the anglers in short sleeves rather than the usual six layers of clothes. Lurgan CAC members dominated the frame, filling four out of the five top spots. Whips, long poles, feeders and wagglers were the main lines of attack and Phil Jackson, drawn in the bottom section, on peg 11, headed the field with 23-12-0 of roach and perch caught mainly on the whip with worm and maggot, ahead of Lurgan CAC teammate Johnny McKinley’s 22-10-0 of again roach and perch captured on the 6 metre whip with the same baits at peg 7. Matt Crowl (Newry Canal MG) was also busy on the whip on peg 13 where he returned an 18-12-0 comparable catch for third. Davy Hamilton and Paul Heaney, both of Lurgan CAC followed with 18-2-0 and 17-4-0 respectively. The canal fished really well with an average weight of more than 10lb per man which bodes well for the four day festival next week. The weights were even more remarkable as the anglers had to contend with a 100 canoe regatta which was going on at the same time! There are a few places left on the festival so if you want to join in, visit the Newry Canal facebook page for contact details or to apply. All welcome!

Canal & River Trust Stillwaters

Terry tops at Earlswood

Birmingham rod Terry Gilbert topped Saturday’s Earlswood Lakes Silvers Open in Solihull, West Midlands with all bream for 16-14-0, snared on the groundbait feeder with chopped worm and caster at peg 79. Runner-up on peg 62 was Maurice Williams (Sensas Chiltern Baits) with 12-10-0, consisting of a brace of bream and five good roach, caught on the pole, ahead of Earlswood’s Chris Hill who scaled 11-14-0 at peg 75, made up of two bream plus bits.

About this blog

Angling match results from around the country brought to you by Steve Cope. This regular blog features detailed match results. If you would like your results included here, please contact Steve Cope on 01922 640247 or steve.cope@hotmail.com